If you've already bought Tempest or Centipede on Xbox Live Arcade, forget about transferring them to Microsoft's Game Room when it launches later this year.

Microsoft revealed Xbox Live's Game Room at CES earlier this month, a virtual retro arcade that users can decorate and personalize. That is, if they put out the dough. Microsoft has told Game Informer that any game purchased through Xbox Live Arcade that is also available in Game Room would not transfer over. To play the same game in Game Room, it will have to be purchased again.

Microsoft posits that Game Room games are different because they're the original versions, not the "revamped" Xbox Live Arcade versions. The lack of anti-aliasing evidently demands buying a game all over again. In other words, Microsoft and the rights holders of classic arcade games have found a way to suck even more money out of Xbox Live users.

This positions Game Room as yet another special marketplace on Xbox Live, which should confuse a good amount of customers. It will be its own little store, separate from the rest of Xbox Live. Game Room does appear to offer a few unique competitive features in addition to the customizable arcade room, but this just doesn't seem right. If someone has already put out the money for a classic game through Xbox Live Arcade, it should be available in Game Room, a parallel Xbox Live service.

It's almost pathetic in a way. Game Room might be different from Xbox Live Arcade to Microsoft, but to consumers both services can be switched between with the press of a button. Not that this is that big of a deal, with Game Room games only going for $3 to $5, but Tempest and Centipede already go for $5 anyway on XBLA. It seems like Microsoft should do the right thing here.

Citrus Insanity:So wait. The only difference between Game Room and playing XBLA games normally is that the Game Room lets you walk your avatars around a virtual arcade?

What a stupid idea.

Correction, that's the only difference if you pay about £2-£3 to the already overflowing coffers of Bill Gates.

Seriously, I like Microsoft, I really do. I freaking love the Xbox, I love using Windows Vista, I haven't even switched from using IE. And whenever I've had to call Tech Support they've been literally perfect. But this is just stupid. Microsoft are just kicking every single one of their loyal customers in the balls, and following that with a karate chop to the teeth. This service is almost exactly the same as XBLA, except with a slight feature like Habbo Hotel (which is crap anyway). They should make it free, and let you switch games between the two. Anything less is just wrong and greedy.

Well that is just down right cold. The player has already payed for the game, why would you force them to buy it again when they can just go back to the arcade and play there? Good thing I don't really play the arcade games that much.

Given how oddly identical Sony and Microsoft have become over time, it's no surprise to me that Microsoft suddenly felt the insane urge to make their own version of Home. 360 owners rejoice: you can now get in on all that inane social platforming that you were missing out on because you didn't have a PS3.

gee this is sad , i really like my 360 but bullshit like this drives me quackers , bad enough they give us facebook and twitter that doesn't have all the features , we don't get netflix or last fm in canada and zune is well useless and just as bad as rebuying games is the high prices ms charges for old games in god (games on demand ) as for things we could use on xbl will not come ... browser ,access to e-mail

Explain to me then why I should stop using something that has worked perfectly well without breaking down on me for over three years, that has recently been updated and seems to work even better for me now because of said updates, and that I am intrinsicaly used to?

I still don't get why anyone should care about Game Room... Who wants to pay for 30 year old games when they can play, sometimes similar, but generally much better games (often for free) on the interwebs? (Flash games, for example).

Tom Goldman:Microsoft has told Game Informer that any game purchased through Xbox Live Arcade that is also available in Game Room would not transfer over. To play the same game in Game Room, it will have to be purchased again.

Explain to me then why I should stop using something that has worked perfectly well without breaking down on me for over three years, that has recently been updated and seems to work even better for me now because of said updates, and that I am intrinsically used to?